Throughout the nineties, Jerome Baker Designs created functional glass pieces for some of the biggest celebrities of the time, including George Clooney, Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Mike Tyson, Snoop Dogg, B-Real, Nate Dogg, Exhibit, 311, Slightly Stoopid, Sublime, Tool, System of a Down, Phil Lesh (Grateful Dead,) System of a Down, EA Sports Executives, People Under The Stairs, Limp Bizkit and more.
Artist Jason Harris founded Jerome Baker Designs in 1991 while still in college. Ever since, the company has provided the cannabis lovers with unique, premium, American-Made functional glass for collectors, connoisseurs, and consumers. Harris, named one of the Top Ten glassblowers in the United States, boasts nearly a dozen High Times cannabis awards for excellence in glass.
Harris learned the techniques of glassblowing from certified legends like the legendary Bob Snodgrass, a famous American lampworker known for his glass pipe-making and glass art.
Harris also learned from Han Ittig of Wetheimer Glaskunst based in Germany. Hans is a 7th generation Glassblower based in Wertheim, Germany.
Moreover, Jason has honed his techniques at University of Oregon and Pilchuck Glass School, founded by the great Dale Chihuly. Jason has also apprenticed under celebrated glass artists Cesare Toffolo, Dick Marquis, Robert Mickelson, Karen Willinbrink, and Charles Lowrie.
Jerome Baker uses only high quality Borosilicate glass, a material intended for the science industry which heats and cools to extremes without cracking. JBD was the biggest functional glass manufacturer in the world by the turn of the 21st century.
One famed Jerome Baker Designs technique is fuming the glass with .9999 fine silver to give the glass the appearance of a mirror sans background.
Thanks to Jerome Baker Designs, cannabis smokers saw their pieces change color before their eyes. Jerome Baker Designs pioneered a deep depression for a piece’s bowl, allowing heat to travel upwards so users could take larger hits.
What Is Operation Pipe Dreams?
In 2003, the FBI investigation as part of Operation Pipe Dreams, which targeted businesses selling drug paraphernalia, mostly marijuana pipes and bongs. Jason was arrested alongside 55 other individuals including actor Tommy Chong.
Jason moved to Maui and created non-functional glass art for tourists, as well as high end luxury work. He even handcrafted a piece for the Dalai Lama named “The Sphere of Consciousness.” That work was led by artist Charles Lowery.
Harris dusted Jerome Baker Designs off after legalization in Colorado, and established the Las Vegas Dream Factory at its headquarters in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada. Harris once again explored the boundaries and limitations of functional glass art—this time with a permit from the City of Las Vegas.
Jerome Baker Designs and Lowery created ‘Bongzilla’, the world’s biggest bong, in 2018. The piece was crafted at The Martin Blank Studio in Seattle, Washington. Bongzilla garnered JBD nationwide press coverage in Newsweek, Seattle Times, and more. Leafly produced a mini-doc about the experience called “Redemption Bong.”